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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

New Things

“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”  -Isaiah 43:19

Has God recently done something new in your life?  Often when we’re going through the drudgery of life, in what can seem like a wilderness, we need Him to!  When we’re stuck in a rut we can’t wait for God to show up to show us what He has.   When we’ve stayed steady when our hand to the plow but haven’t seen any results, when we’ve been faithful with little but haven’t seen a return on our investment, we may begin to wonder when our ship will come in.  But, are we looking in the right place?  Are we looking for the new thing?  Or are we looking in the same place, perhaps the most likely place, doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result? 

It’s so interesting to me in the verse above that God makes “a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”  In my mind, the last place I’d be looking for a road would be in the wilderness.  And the last place I’d be looking for a stream would be in a desert. But that’s where God says they are!  Are we looking for a move of God not just in likely places, but in the most unlikely places as well?  Are we not limiting ourselves in the ways God can provide?  Are we allowing ourselves to be open to His plan?  It’s often not what we think.  That’s why trusting Him is so important. 

When my dad began writing his TGIF devotional he had no idea it would turn into a “stream” in the desert.  In his mind, it was the most unlikely thing that God could’ve used to affect other people.  But, it was that “new thing” that God was doing in his life.

What new thing is God doing in your life? Look for God’s activity in the most unlikely places.   Be open to His movement in your life.  You might be surprised where His Spirit leads you.
 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Love One Another


"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." -John 13:34&35

Life can get stressful at times. The bills need paying, the job is insane or isn't quite what we hoped for; the kids are running around crazy, we've gotten a cold. During these times of pressure is when we're pushed to our limits-and our true colors show. Whatever is in us comes out of us - and it can be quite revealing - and embarrassing.

But what we need to remember during these times of pressure is what really matters. Seeds may have been planted early on  in our lives to suggest we're nothing without stellar performance, we're nothing without money, we're nothing without achievement, we're nothing without beauty & a sleek physic. Yes, these things are nice to have, and we should set goals for our lives. But the reality is, without LOVE, it means nothing.

What remains in our lives after we're gone and all is said and done is our love for others. The Bible says only three things will remain - faith, hope, and love- the greatest of these being love. So the next time we are tempted to think our performance is what matters, the amount of money that we make is what matters, or how much we've achieved is what really makes us count, we need to think again. Love is the only thing that truly matters. Have love, and we win the world over. Lose love, and we lose all that Jesus died for.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -1 Cor 13:13